Nashville Hot Fried Chicken

Dr. Sweetpea loves fried chicken. The man could eat fried chicken all day for days and be perfectly happy. Anyway, I saw this Nashville Hot Fried Chicken recipe in one of my cookbooks, and since it's covered in a spicy sauce, I made it for dinner one day. Dr. Sweetpea took one bite and I swear I saw his eyes light up because it was that good. The chicken is perfectly brined and the coating is very crisp. Also, the sauce, it's spicy, but it adds that extra oomph that is perfectly paired with the fried chicken. The chicken is so good that Dr. Sweetpea begged for me to make this one a month for him!

Nashville Hot Fried Chicken

(Source: Cooks Country)

Brine

2 quarts water

1/2 cup hot sauce

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) whole chicken, quartered

Coating

3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Whisk water, hot sauce, salt, and sugar in large bowl until salt and sugar dissolve. Add chicken and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to one hour.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add cayenne pepper, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to small bowl.

Remove chicken from refrigerator and pour off brine. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl. Dredge chicken pieces 2 at a time in flour mixture. Shake excess flour from chicken and transfer to wire rack.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat remaining oil in large Dutch oven over medium high heat to 350 degrees. Return chicken pieces to flour mixture and turn to coat. Fry half of chicken, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees, until deep golden brown and white meat registers 160 degrees (175 for dark meat), 20 to 25 minutes. Drain chicken on clean wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken. Stir spicy oil mixture to recombine and brush over both sides of chicken. Serve on white bread with pickles.

***When I make this chicken at home, I usually use 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. I cut the brine in half since I’m not brining a whole chicken. So for us, I use 1 quart water, 1/4 cup hot sauce, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar for the brine and it’s been perfect.***